We have big news for all email bulk senders out there!
Google (and Yahoo) announced their most important update to emails sending which will transform the way Google users will use their inboxes. New rules are being introduced to protect users by reducing the number of spam emails in their inbox. On the other side, this will place extra requirements on email senders.
This is what Google said late last year:
By February 2024, all email marketers must comply with the new requirements and implement them into their emails.
The new requirements:
1. Authenticate Emails:
Google checks on messages sent to Gmail accounts to ensure that messages are authenticated. To help ensure these messages are delivered, you must set up email authentication for your domain which can be done on your DNS server.
You will need to set up SPF & DKIM authentication, and DMARC (for extra security) for your emails:
- SPF (Sender Policy Framework): This method of authentication ensures that emails originate from an authorised domain, which minimises the risk of them being flagged as spam.
- DKIM (DomainKeys Identified Mail): DKIM is an authentication method for emails that adds a digital signature to outgoing messages.
- DMARC: DMARC enables senders to define the actions to be taken if their emails fail SPF or DKIM authentication checks. Setting this up is not necessary but is recommended as it helps add a layer of security.
No matter the size of your database, it is recommended that you authenticate your emails as this will soon apply to everyone. You can learn more about SPF and DKIM in this video click here!
The purpose of this is for the user to rely confidently on the email’s source. Google states that, “Ultimately, this will close loopholes exploited by attackers that threaten everyone who uses email”.
2. Enable Easy Unsubscription:
As Sr. Dir. Product at Yahoo, Marcel Becker, says: “No matter who their email provider is, all users deserve the safest, most secure experience possible”.
All senders need to provide a one-click unsubscribe option in their emails. Furthermore, they need to process the unsubscribe requests within two days. Most email service providers will support this option but it is always a good idea to be safe and check this.
Ensure that all unsubscribe links and tracking links are DKIM-signed. If using your domain for click tracking, employ a subdomain of your DKIM signing domain. If relying on your ESP shared domain for click tracking, ensure they also DKIM sign your header using the tracking domain.
3. Less Spam:
Google and Yahoo already have many tools that keep user’s inboxes clear from spam emails. To strengthen this process, they are adding another layer of protection where they will “enforce a clear spam rate threshold that senders must stay under”.
This means that you should be aware of two things:
- Be prepared for an increase in email deferrals at Gmail, allowing you to react quickly before potential blocks.
- Using different subdomains for separate email types helps in managing reputations and filtering by email services.
What is the reason behind all of this?
Short answer:
- Artificial intelligence.
Long answer:
Google and Yahoo have been using AI-powered defenses to stop spam emails. Google has prevented up to 99.9% of spam, phishing and malware from reaching inboxes, blocking up to 15 billion emails everyday. That is a lot of emails…
However, over the course of many years since emails have been created, spam emails have become more complex. With the help of generative A.I. tools, spam emails are becoming much more realistic and convincing enough to fool users.
In order to combat this, these companies have put their foot down to ensure the safety of their users.
Conclusion
As cyber crimes increase and rise, it is only right for emails to be safer, secure, user friendly and spam-free. Many senders already meet most of the requirements however, there are some who are not quite up there yet…
The conclusion is simple:
Don’t ignore this new change!
Be sure to act quickly so that you are on top of everything.
Looking forward to your email marketing in 2024 ?